365 Days is currently the top ranked movie on Netflix for 2020 and was also the most streamed movie on Netflix in June. For those who haven’t seen it, the story revolves around an Italian mobster who kidnaps a Polish woman and tells her she has 365 days to fall in love with him, and if she doesn’t, he’ll set her free. Aside from the horrific acting and incoherent storyline, the movie features multiple scenes of rape, sexual abuse and manipulation which are staged as being romantic and sexy. That’s why so many sexual assault activists are campaigning to have the movie taken off Netflix.
I sat down with my friend to watch it (strictly for this article) and was bracing myself for nearly two hours of what can only be described as trash film. We cringed and laughed at what was probably the most ridiculous film I’ve seen. Then my friend turns to me and says, “Nah but he’s still really hot though” and this is what scared me most, the fact that a man who is overtly abusing, kidnapping and violating women can still somehow be seen as attractive. With the film’s increasing popularity across the world, thousands of young people on platforms like Tik Tok are creating videos which idolise mob boss Massimo, played by Michele Morrone, and it’s dangerous. 365 Days shows us how prone young people are to glamorising sexual violence and can’t recognise twisted, abusive relationships even when it’s literally on a screen in front of them.
What’s more is that Laura, played by Anna Maria Sieklucka, is not much more than a prop in the movie. In fact, if you search the hashtag #365days on Instagram, you’ll only see pictures of Massimo, it’s almost as if Laura isn’t even a part of the story. Laura acts as Massimo’s toy, which he abuses and manipulates, then “rescues” and “loves”. This speaks to the role of women in lots of films of a similar genre, think 50 Shades of Grey and even Twilight which was heavily marketed to teens. All of these films feature this mysterious, good-looking guy who stalks, manipulates and seduces a woman who is portrayed as pure and fragile. In the beginning of the film, Massimo tells Laura “I won’t do anything without your permission” (other than the abduction and imprisonment of course), but consent is something that just doesn’t exist in this movie, Massimo continually forces himself on Laura regardless of his “promise”.
It is so dangerous and triggering for films like these to be on an easy to access streaming platform like Netflix. Young people often construct their understanding of relationships and sex from media content, and all that 365 Days is teaching young people is that a “no” can be turned into a “yes”.
If you want to see 365 Days taken off Netflix, sign this petition